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June 14, 2003
Some thoughts on Under the Table and Above the Sun...
About the week of the CD release.
My feelings about the album overall.
(and, new thing! you can leave comments The big day has come and gone. The CD release weekend -- or the "Braun Family Extravaganza" as I've been thinking of it -- was a long one, and it wrapped up just in time for me to get a big dose of crazy courtesy of the Texas Legislature. (In case I forgot to mention it, I'm no longer unemployed -- I am doing legislative analysis for a state university, and was right in the thick of all the end-of-session shenanigans.)
(but if any of you supported the Ardmore Democrats, AKA the "Killer D's", and want a t-shirt that says "got quorum?", give me a shout! Don't worry, Kevin, I won't be expecting to hear from you on that one!! xo)
The weekend itself was a ball. I got to see Randy, who I love to bits and who doesn't come to Austin nearly enough (how are we gonna build Desolation Angel World Headquarters if you don't get out of H-town, buddy?). I got to see Michelle (cajungirl), where we revisited our cuh-raaaaazy NOLA weekend, and meet JuneBug and Lori, two absolute sweethearts who can party like rock stars. I got to meet Peri and Mimi, who are my two newest favorite people in the whole world -- and not even because they made the haul all the way from northern California for the CD release, although that is pretty damned cool.
I got to hang out with a 7-year-old who I happen to think hung the moon -- and after her Littlest-Rock-Star-Ever performance at Gruene Hall that Saturday night (I mean, what second grader have you met who knows all the words to "The Battle of 1814"?), there are quite a few folks that would agree with me... even if she's convinced it's "Micky and the Motorcycles".
And meeting Muzzie and JoAnn... seeing Brandi and Rags (Mr. Double Entangio himself) and Kathleen and Liz and Jen (who graduated from university! Woot!)... and the perfect sangria at the Gristmill and lucking out on the best table in their River Room, and the George Devore Four opening the Stubb's show, and Laurie who somehow made it to Friday and Saturday night, and Nicole and Shaz and Cameron and Monica and Anne and Sarah and the Hardys (one of whom almost made me hyperventilate from laughter in Gruene with her "dancing", and she knows who she is -- girl, I'll stand next to you at any show. I wish I'd had parents that cool.)... the week couldn't have possibly been better.
And that was just fans of RK. The musicians themselves all had this sort of light about them, and if I had to guess I would say it came from the satisfaction that comes with a job well done. For the parents out there in Readerland (and I'm not one, so I could be talking out of my ass here), I'd suspect that first looking at that squalling critter and thinking "I made that" is similar. Or holding the galley of one's first novel. Or when a first-time director sits in the back row of a public screening of his movie, anonymous and watching people react to and enjoy this thing he just spent three years of his life on. If those of you that were at Stubb's or Gruene think back, you'll know what I mean. With each man adding his own personal stamp to it, RK was untouchable, walking about two feet above ground, full-to-bursting. In my opinion, they earned every single second of it.
at the end of each of these articles...)
